Strong heart, natural 1m

[Kungsgeten]

I found an old thread where awm describes a system which opens hands with 5+H and 10-14 hcp at the two-level: http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/27649-a-new-crazy-idea/

 

I think this is an interesting idea, and tinkered a bit with it. My modification has a strong heart, instead of a strong club, and swaps some of the two-level bids around (for better or worse, not sure).

 

1m = 11-21, natural and unbalanced. Either 5+ suit or 4441 shape.

1H = Strong. 15+ NT / 15+ with 5+H / 17+ with 5+S / Any GF.

1S = 5+S, 11-16.

1NT = 12-14, including 5H332.

2C = 6+H, or 5H and 4S, 10-14.

2D = Multi. Weak 2H or bad weak 2S.

2H = "Constructive Muiderberg", 10-14 with 5H and 4+m.

2S = Weak.

2NT = 22-24.

 

Not sure if this is playable or not, but would guess that it is. You get more well defined minor suit opening bids than most, and the strong heart opening doesn't seem all too crowded to me (at least not compared to opening 1C on any 15 or 16+ hand). You get the limited major suit openings (or at least a variation of them), which is the biggest benefit of a strong club system.

 

Opening 1H is high, but since many strong hands with minor suits are excluded I think it could work. I guess the two-level heart bids could be 11-15 or similar too (in order to remove some hands from 1H). The response structure below is an idea:

 

1H---

1S = Waiting. Negative, or a GF not suitable for another bid.

1NT = 5+H, GF.

2C = 5+S, GF.

2D = 3--4H, GF and not suitable for other bid.

2H = 6+C, GF.

2S = 6+D, GF.

2NT = 5-5 minors, GF.

 

1H--1S;

1NT = 15-17.

2C = 18-19 NT / Strong two in a major / Balanced GF / GF with a minor.

2D = 15-17 with 5+H, or GF with a major.

2M = Natural, 17-19.

2NT = 20-21.

3m = 5-5 majors, short minor. 17-19.

 

 

Possible tweaks could be to put the weak NT into the 1C opening bid, and use 1NT for something else (like mini-NT, 14-16 NT, or something artificial with hearts).

 

 

Edit:

 

I was wrong about the frequencies (if my calculations are correct). The 1H opening is more frequent than opening a 17+ strong club, and just a bit lower than a 16+ strong club. This is because of the 15-16 NT in the heart opening. Here's the frequencies:

 

1C = 7.08%

1D = 6.85%

1H = 9.45%

1S = 5.49%

1NT = 9.93%

2C = 2.87%

2D = Not calculated.

2H = 2.22%

2S+ = Not calculated.

[Zelandakh]

I experimented many years ago with a system based around a strong 1♥ opening but after careful analysis determined that a strong club was more efficient overall. I think you would have issues with this 1♥ opening as it is both overloaded and lacks good homogeneity. Your comparison between 1♣ and 1♥ is slightly off in my view - your 1♥ opening should ideally not have more than 40% of the hand types of 1♣, which is clearly not the case here.

 

Perhaps if you took 15-17 balanced out and moved it down to 1♣...

 

Another way of doing it would be to make the 1♣ opening show 4+ hearts, possible canapé, and have the 15+ club hands in 1♥ instead. Making 2♣ intermediate and natural then takes care of all the club hands. You can use the same trick to get rid of the 5+♣4♠ hands, switching 1♦ to 4+ spades and using 1♠ for diamonds.

 

This is essentially what I was playing around with back in the day and it is certainly playable. In the end I do not think what you gain is worth the effort but perhaps your experience will be different.

[Kungsgeten]

I experimented many years ago with a system based around a strong 1♥ opening but after careful analysis determined that a strong club was more efficient overall. I think you would have issues with this 1♥ opening as it is both overloaded and lacks good homogeneity. Your comparison between 1♣ and 1♥ is slightly off in my view - your 1♥ opening should ideally not have more than 40% of the hand types of 1♣, which is clearly not the case here.

 

Perhaps if you took 15-17 balanced out and moved it down to 1♣...

 

Another way of doing it would be to make the 1♣ opening show 4+ hearts, possible canapé, and have the 15+ club hands in 1♥ instead. Making 2♣ intermediate and natural then takes care of all the club hands. You can use the same trick to get rid of the 5+♣4♠ hands, switching 1♦ to 4+ spades and using 1♠ for diamonds.

 

This is essentially what I was playing around with back in the day and it is certainly playable. In the end I do not think what you gain is worth the effort but perhaps your experience will be different.

 

A strong club will be more efficient in uncontested bidding, that is for sure. When they overcall, my guess is that its about the same.

 

Having 1C as 4+ hearts and something like 10+ hcp is probably playable; there's a Swedish system called Säfflespader which includes a 1C opening showing 8+ hcp (unlimited) with 4+ hearts and 0-3 spades. A downside to such a club opening is probably that it is harder to handle in competition, and the preemptive effect is low. Using 1m for majors and 1S for diamonds is close to the strong pass version of Moscito.

 

The gain, in my mind, to playing a system such as the one I describe would be to have natural openings in all suits and also limited five card majors. You open with your longest suit, or a balanced bid, or a strength showing bid (ala strong club). Take the best parts of a strong club (limited major openings, and some better accuracy with strong hands) and remove the most common critique (bad minor suit treatment).

 

In order to lessen the burden of the strong heart, and keeping with the "natural" spirit, a short club could be used (or three card minors):

 

1C = 11-13 NT or natural.

1H = Strong. 17+ NT, or 15+ with hearts, or 17+ with spades, or any GF.

1NT = 14-16

 

Now the frequency of 1H is 5.74%. The frequency of a 16+ 1C is 9.76% and a 15+ 1C is 14.18%. The frequency could be lowered even more by putting some strong balanced hands into 1C, or by playing 1NT as 15-17 instead of 14-16.

[awm]

It feels like the latest version has lost what you were trying to gain since you no longer have natural minor suit openings. Once you've decided to have an opening which is "natural or min balanced" you might as well be playing regular precision?

[Kungsgeten]

It feels like the latest version has lost what you were trying to gain since you no longer have natural minor suit openings. Once you've decided to have an opening which is "natural or min balanced" you might as well be playing regular precision?

 

Yes, you're absolutely correct. I would argue that a natural or balanced 1C typically is easier to handle than a Precision 1D though. I guess it would require some testing, the gains of having a natural unbalanced 1C opening vs also having some balanced range in it. Another aspect is if you like the weak NT or not.

[awm]

Here's a possible way to offload some hands from 1H:

 

1. Include canapé with 5M-4+m into 1m, but only with extra values.

2. Let 2c include strong hands with 5+/4+ majors.

 

Now 1H is strong balanced, strong 6+M, or super strong any shape. This seems relatively manageable.

[nullve]

I mentioned a "Kokish" 1♥ opening here.

 

1m/1♠ = standard excluding 18-19 BAL

1♥ = "Kokish/Birthright": standard or any 18-19 BAL

others = standard

 

looks playable to me. I might even prefer it to standard. :)

[glen]

http://www.bridgematters.com/coh.pdf

[spotlight7]

Reese at one time played the Little Major.

 

1C=4+Hs, 1D=4+Ss, 1H=20+, 1S=minors or a one suited minor.

[nullve]

looks playable to me.

Not sure what I was thinking.

 

1♥ = standard 1♥ or any 18-19 BAL

 

must certainly be much harder to play than

 

1♥ = Precision 1♥ or any 17-19 BAL.